Generator for hydraulic turbines



June 13, 1933. G A G 1,913,582

GENERATOR FOR HYDRAULIC TUR BINES Filed Feb. 25, 1929 11v VENTOR 5502;: A. B/ff5.

ATTORNEY Patented June 13, 1933 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE A. BIGGS, OF SPRINGFIELD, I OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE JAMES LEFFEL 8: COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO GENERATOR FOR HYDRAULIC TURBINES' Application filed February 25, 1929. Serial No. 342,641.

My invention relates to generators and in particular to generators for hydraulic turbines.

It is the object of my invention to provide a single-bearing hydraulic turbine which will accommodate itself to minor lateral move.- ments inherent in a hydraulic turbine, which can be readily lubricated, which is selfadjusting for wear, and which maintains,

irrespective of lateral turbine movement, the precise spacing between the ends of the rotor and stator of the generator.

It is my object to provide an equi-distant air gap at all times between the ends of the rotating field coils and the stationary armature of the generator despite the lateral movements of the turbine.

It is a further object to provide such a generator so that there may be a satisfactory 0 method of distributing the electrical energy for the purpose of operating variable position blades or buckets on a hydraulic turbine.

It is a further object to provide a generator having minimum depth so as'to reduce the height and size of the power house in which the generator is located.

It is a further object to provide means for driving a suitable exciter, or exciters, from the generator. i

Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 1s a vertical section through the generator.

Figure 2 is aside elevation thereof with the supporting foundation in section.

Figure 3 is an electrical diagram showing the electrical hook-up between the generator and the slip rings.

Referring to the drawing in detail, 1 is the floor of the power house, and 2 is a concrete ring projecting above the floor of the house to which is'bolted by the bolts 3 the armature ring 4 carrying the armature 5. The face of this armature is arcuate as at 6. The field pieces are designated 7 and have a face 8 described about the same point which describes the face 6 of thearmature. This point is located at 9 on the runner shaft. 9 is the point about which the runner shaft is adapted to move as will be hereinafter explained.

' 10 indicates the field coils. The field coils are mounted in the rotor frame 11 that is formed with an oil chamber 12 between it and the bearingsupporting housing 13. An additional oil housing to form an oil chamber with the bearing housing is mounted on the field rotor as at 14. The rotor itself is mounted upon the runner shaft 15 resting upon the shoulder 16. The rotor and the runner shaft are suitably keyed together through a key in the keyway 17 Any form of attachment may be employed.

Mounted upon the armature ring 4 is a combined cover and bearing-support ring 18. This cover carries the bearing supporting housing 13, in the bottom of which is located the annular bearing member 19 which has the arcuate face 20, the concavity of which is described about the point 9. Riding in this bearing ring 19 is a second bearing member of semi-spherical shape designated 21. The exterior of this bearing member is also described about the point 9. The bearing member 21 acts as a cage for the ball bearings 22 which are retained in position on the other side by the ring 23. This ring is held in position on the shoulder 24 of the runner shaft by the sleeve 25 mountedon the runner shaft. This sleeve is locked in position by the nut 26 mounted on the threaded end 27 of the runner shaft.

The universal joint formed by the bearing members 19 and 21 and the ball bearings are both submerged in the same pool of oil 12 within the rotor.

The pipe 28 leads from this oil pool to an indicator 29 which can be seen from the exterior of the generator.

The exterior surface of the rotor is provided with a drum surface 30 on which is mounted a belt for driving the exciter through the opening 30 in the ring 2.

The runner shaft 15 carries slip rings 31 and 32. The slip ring 31 is connected by the wire 33 to the positive side of the field coil 10, while the other side of the coil, that is the negative side, is connected by the wire 34 to the slip ring 32. The slip ring 31 is engaged by the brush 35 connected to the positive wire 36 which is supplied with direct current for excitation of the generator field.

The wire 37 is connected to the negative side of this direct circuit and engages the slip ring 32 through the brush 88. ires 36 and 37 may be connected to the exciter which is driven by a belt from the drum 30, or the current may be supplied from any other outside source. The wires 33 and 3% are shown for the purpose. of clearness in open condition but in practice they will be suitably attached to the rotor.

I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications as may be clearly embraced within my claims and the scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a generator in combination with a support, an armature ring on said support, a supporting ring having a downwardly extending housing mounted on said armature ring, a rotor having a shaft extending into the housing whereby the rotor is supported by said supporting ring, and adapted to rotate within the armature ring.

2. In a generator in combination with a support, an armature ring on said support, a supporting ring supported by said armature ring and having extending downwardly therefrom a supporting housing, and a rotor ha ing a shaft extending into the housing whereby the rotor is supported by said housing and located within the armature ring.

In a generator in combination with a support, an armature ring on said support, asupport-ing ring on said armature ring, a cylindrical housing extending from said supporting ring, a hollow rotor fitting over one end of said supporting housing and adapted to rotate within said armature ring, and a shaft attached to said rotor and extending into said cylindrical housing and supported thereby.

i. In a generator in comination with a base, an armature ring mounted upon said base, a supporting housingmounted upon said armature ring,a hollow rotor fitting over one end of said supporting housing and adapted to rotate within the armature ring, a shaft attached to said rotor and extending into said supporting housing, and bearings between .said shaft and said supporting housing adapted to permit free rotation of the shaft and the rotor and a limited amount of swinging movement of the shaft in relation to the supporting housing.

5. In a generator in combination with a base, an armature ring supported by said base, a supporting housing supported by said armature ring, said housing being cylindrical in shape and ha ing a cylindrical opening in one end thereof, a semi-spherical bearing in said housing and surrounding said opening, a hollow rotor fitting over the open end of said housing and adapted to rotate within the armature ring, a shaft attached to said rotor and extending into said housing, a semi-spherical bearing attached to said shaft and engaging the first-mentioned semi-spherical bearing so that the shaft may rock with relation to the housing, and a bearing between the shaft and the lastmontioned semi-spherical bearing whereby the shaft may have rotary movement within the housing.

6. In a generator in combination with a base, an armature ring supported by said base, a rotor located within said armature ring, a shaft for said rotor, a semi-spherical bearing attached to said shaft for rotation thereon, and a second semi-spherical bearing engaging the first semi-spherical bearing to support the rotor and permit alimited amount of swinging movement 'of the rotor.

7. In a generator in combination with a base, an armature ring su ported by said base, a support on the ringl iaving an new ate bearing face, a rotor having an arcnate bearing member engaging said bearing face whereby the rotor has free rotary movement within the armature ring and a limited amount of swinging movement therein.

8. In a generator in combination with a base, an armature ring supported by said base, a support member resting upon said armature ring, a housing having an arcuate bearing face extending from said support member and within the armature ring, a hollow rotor fitting over said housing, a support having an arcuate bearing member engaging said bearing face in said housing for said rotor and adapted to permit a free rotation of the rotor and a limited swinging movement thereof in relation to the armature ring.

9. In a generator in combination with an armature ring, a rotor adapted to rotate within said ring, asupport for said rotor resting upon said ring and .eomprisin 1 housing having therein a semi-spherical bearing and a rotor shaft extending into said housing and having a bearing engaging mid semi-s herical bearing.

10. In a generator in combination with an armature ring, a rotor adapted to rotate within said ring, a housing supported by said armature ring, a shaft for said rotor extending into said housing, a semi-spherical bearing rotatably mounted on said shaft, :1- second semi-spherical bearing engaging the first semi-spherical bearing to support the rotor,

and means to supply a lubricant to said housing to lubricate said bearings.

11. In a generator in combination with an armature ring, a housing extending into the ring and supported thereby, a hollow rotor fitting over said housing and adapted to rotate within the ring, said housing having an opening in one end, a shaft forsaid rotor extending through .said opening into said housing, a semi-spherical bearing located within said housing and surrounding said opening, a cooperating semi-spherical bearing mounted upon the shaft for rotation thereon, and means to hold the second hearing against longitudinal movement on the shaft.

12. In a generator in combination with an armature ring, a housing having an opening supported by said ring, a hollow rotor located within said ring and fitting over said housing, a shaft for said rotor projecting into said housing through said opening, a semi-spherical bearing in said housing surrounding said opening, a cooperating semispherical bearing surrounding said shaft and engaging the first-mentioned semispherical bearing, and ball bearings located between the shaft and the last-named semi-spherical bearing whereby the shaft may rotate with respect to the last-named semi-spherical bearing and may have a limited amount of swinging movement on the first-named semi-spherical bearing with relation to the housing.

13. In a generator in combination with an armature ring, a housing supported thereby, said housing having an opening in one end, a hollow rotor adapted to rotate within said ring and fitting over the open end of said housing, a cup member fitting over said housing and cooperating with the rotor and the housing to form an oil chamber, and means extending through the opening into the housing to support said rotor.

14. In a generator in combination with an armature ring, a support member having a concave bearing located on said armature ring, a rotor located within said ring and 4 a convex bearing member rotatably mounted on the rotor and engaging the concave hearing whereby the rotor is supported by said support member for rotary movement and a limited amount of swinging movement.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

GEORGE A. BIGGS. 

